While the government has announced a strategy to provide universal health coverage by 2017, observers have questioned whether the government has budgeted nearly enough to achieve that goal. Meanwhile, especially for the 80 percent of Senegalese who work in the informal sector, modern health care is often out of reach.

Ratcheting up taxes would save lives: Smoking is a leading risk factor for noncommunicable diseases like cancer and heart disease, which already account for30 percent of the disease burden in Senegal. While non-communicable diseases have finally garnered worldwide attention, action has been slow. Emerging economies like Senegal’s need to take the offensive. It was exciting, therefore, to hear Minister of Health Awa Marie Coll-Seck tellNGO representatives earlier this year that her government might increase tobacco taxes. Even better, they’d use the money to help fund the universal health coverage plans.

Developing countries, however, lag behind. In low-income countries, the tax share on tobacco is only 39 percent of retail. There are outliers: InRwanda, a 66 percent tax rate contributes to one of the lowest smoking rates in the region. Other countries must follow suit. Tobacco taxation is a WHO “best buy” for controlling non-communicable diseases because it’sconclusively proven to reduce tobacco usage, particularly among the poor. The recentLancet Commission on health investments noted that a 50 percent price increase in China would prevent 20 million deaths over 50 years. In India, it’d prevent another 4 million.

And taxation shouldn’t stop at tobacco. Alcohol consumption is thetop risk factor for ill health among people age 15-45 worldwide, and among men of all ages in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America; taxesare proven to reduce consumption and excessive drinking, especially among young people. The argument looks equally compelling for highly processed foods and beverages, including soda, which is headeddown the same road as tobacco. Developing countries should jump ahead of rich countries by using taxes to discourage consumption. It’ll be a fight — developing countries are theprime growth market for junk food companies — but success in one country likeMexico will begin changing norms as they help save lives.

More revenue for health

These taxes on unhealthy products are a win-win because, unlike most public health interventions, they don’t cost governments money — they bring it in. Instead of combining these new funds with general revenue, in countries where government spending on health is too low, there’s a strong argument for earmarking them for health. In particular, they could support efforts towards UHC, which WHO Director-GeneralMargaret Chan calls “the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer.”

UHC,defined by WHO as the goal of everyone having access to quality health services without financial hardship, is anambitious but achievable agenda that starts with ensuring health care access for poor and vulnerable groups and builds from there. As more developing countries announce plans to pursue UHC and UHCgains momentum in the post-2015 agenda, the obvious question is: How can you afford it? The people who need coverage the most are usually the ones who can contribute the least. Governments typically mustincrease domestic public spending to close this gap.

While taxes on tobacco can’t cover the full cost of a UHC program (and shouldn’t be expected to), they can act like a shot of adrenaline for health systems. In the Philippines, new tobacco and alcohol taxescollected more than $750 million in its first year, much of it set aside to coverfree health care for vulnerable populations. That’s a model Senegal can build upon: Earmarking for UHC is a political winner that can help mobilize public support to counter tobacco industry opposition.

A powerful duo

In Senegal and elsewhere, a symbiotic relationship between UHC and taxes on tobacco and other harmful products makes eminent sense. When countries commit to UHC, they commit to ample public financing, or else they fall short. And as countries expand publicly financed health care, the externalities of tobacco, alcohol and processed food consumption — that is, chronic poor health — become more visible, demanding public solutions. Countries like Senegal, in pursuit of UHC, quite literally can’t afford not to tax these products.

What do you think about “sin taxes” on tobacco, alcohol and other products? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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